Advocacy - Federal Food Programs

Federal Food Programs

Federal food programs are a critical source of support for Second Harvest and the neighbors we serve. More than 25% of the food Second Harvest distributes comes through federal nutrition programs administered by the USDA.

These programs help address hunger across every stage of life, supporting older adults, children, families, and individuals facing food insecurity. Advocacy is essential to keeping these programs accessible, adequately funded, and responsive to local needs.

The Farm Bill is the major federal policy package that shapes nutrition programs, agricultural support, and food security efforts across the country.

Key federal programs and policy areas of focus for Second Harvest include:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): SNAP helps eligible households buy groceries and is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger. With SNAP, neighbors can access the foods they need to help meet their dietary needs. Current advocacy priorities include:

Delaying the federal cost shift to states and protecting state funding from error-rate penalties that could force difficult budget choices or reduce access to food assistance here in Ohio.

Restore SNAP Education to help participants build practical skills for healthy eating, meal planning, food budgeting, and preparing nutritious meals with the resources available to them. Restoring this vital and highly successful program would help neighbors stretch their food dollars, make informed choices, and improve long-term health and food security.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): helps food banks and local partners provide nutritious food to households facing hunger and build infrastructure to ensure food safety.

Program Fact Sheet

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): Often known as the senior food box program, CSFP helps provide nutritious shelf-stable food to income-eligible adults 60 and older to help meet their nutritional needs.

Learn More

Child Nutrition Programs: These programs support access to meals for children in schools, childcare settings and community programs.

Federal Food Programs
Your Voice Matters

By learning about these programs and sharing their impact with elected officials, advocates can help protect and strengthen the federal resources that keep food moving to neighbors across our region.

Contact your elected officials today to share your concerns and to advocate for our nutrition priorities.

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